Our road slowly deteriorated until we crossed into Arizona where regular maintenance seemed to end altogether. The roads on the east side of the state line appeared to be graded only very sporadically, and the routes tended to follow gravelly wash bottoms that get flushed by nature on a more frequent basis. We eventually reached the oasis of the Tassi Ranch. Here a strong running spring gives rise to a grove of monstrous cottonwood trees, a historic set of ranch buildings, and a rare spot of lush green in the midst of the Mojave Desert. The verdant site seemed even more improbable in the oppressively hot afternoon.
After exploring the intriguing historic remains of the ranch, we headed east toward the Grand Wash Cliffs. We were following a map and directions from the only 4WD guide we could find on the region. As it was published in 1977, we would soon find its major shortcoming. The book was written long before the current administration of the Park Service started closing road sections in this part of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Our chosen path soon encountered a "Route Closed" piece of Carsonite and we had no law-abiding choice but to retrace our steps back to the Tassi Ranch. We headed north, seeking an alternate route that would take us to the base of the Grand Wash Cliffs which loomed so enticingly on the eastern horizon. Our second choice gave us better results and we soon found ourselves gaining elevation as we wound our way up a shallow wash between grass-covered hills.
On topping the initial ridgeline, we faced the awesome cliffs with some trepidation. We could see our road disappearing into a narrow defile in the cliff line but could see no apparent way that a road would be able to climb the towering walls in that confined space. After all, our out-of-date guidebook had already steered us wrong once. Only one way to find out...
We drove our vehicles into the canyon, and to our delight and amazement the road wiggled this way and that, switchbacking its way up and out of the canyon on a steep, narrow, but very passable, route. Edging its way along the vertical rock, the road first swung north and then way back south around a giant spur of layered limestone. Our GPS units indicated we were nearing the Savanic Mine. The mine would then be a mere half mile from much easier two-track on the Grand Gulch Bench, a broad plateau at the top of the cliff line. The views were jaw-dropping as we wound our way across the face of nearly sheer cliffs lit with a golden glow from the lowering sun. The mine finally pulled into view and we worked our way around a short washed-out road section right in front of the workings. We hopped out for a quick exploration, keeping our examination purposely short. We could then see the remainder of the route climbing up a narrow canyon to the bench above. The light was rapidly fading and we wanted to ensure a campsite on the bench still above. There was definitely a severe shortage of tent sites anywhere in the canyon!
The mine site consisted of several vertical shafts cut deeply into the rock. While some of the ladders leading into the depths seemed sturdy enough, we all knew better than to play explorer with those perpendicular holes in the ground. The area around the mine was strewn with samples of azurite and malachite, two common forms of copper ore. Further discovery beckoned, but the fading light and the remaining half mile of road reminded us of our campsite goal.